Shoe-fitting device.



. w,1. GIBBS. SHOE FITTINGDEVICE;

l ATION FILED APR 3 l APPLC 914- 1,286,586. Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

I l5 /2 -1 1 I; W W. m m 7, I ,I M i iflgq f n 1 5 I'll '6 an WILLIAM J'. GIBBS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 MARSHALL FIELD & COMPANY,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SHOE-FITTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedDec. 3, 1918.

Application filed April 3, 1914. Serial No. 829,369.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J GIBBS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Fitting Devices of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in shoe fitting devices, and has for its object to provide an improved device comprising a foot support which is providedwith means to measure the size of a customers foot indicating the size of shoe needed for such foot.

An object of this invention is toprovide a measuring means in connection with such a device which will enable direct reading by the salesman from his position, of the measuring elements.

Still another object is to provide such a device with a scale embedded in the surface of the foot support to indicate sizes up to a certain limit, and also to provide a slidable or expansible scale adapted for use as a continuation of the fixed scale for measuring larger sizes of feet.

Still another object is to provide such measuring scale so arranged that the said extension, when used, will enable reading of the size of shoe desired at the edge of the foot support.

All these and other objects will be set forth and made apparent in the following specification and accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure 1 is a perspective of a shoe fitting device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail section through the foot support Fig. 3 is a detail of the sliding and fixed scale arrangement;

Like numerals refer to throughout the drawings. v

10 indicates a base member formed of wood or other suitable material at the forward portion of which extends upwardly a supporting pedestal 11, upon which is mounted a shoe support 12. This shoe support is inclined with respect to the base member 10 in order to enable the user to rest the foot thereon in a comfortable posilike elements I tion. .At its lower end the support 12 is flange 13 to the other end or edge 12 of the support being substantially flush with the upper surface of such support. The scale is provided with suitable indications 14*; see Fig. 3, certain of which aredesignated by numerals such as 14*. In the arrangement shown, these numerals do not read directly the sizeof foot, but preferably in dicate the size of shoe required to corre spond to a foot of that length. Other lines and numerals, 14, indicating sizes according to the French system may be located at one side thereof,-when so desired. The shoe support 12 being of convenient length, is limited to certain sizes of foot, as will be apparent, the length of the scale 14 being correspondingly limited, and to provide for larger feet, I utilize a sliding scale 15 mounted in the foot support 12 beneath the scale 14, and in such manner as to slide in and out as desired. At the end of this scale I provide a hinged tongue or flap 16 which may be swung downwardly from operative position when so desired. This scale 15 is provided similarly with indicating marks and numerals, as shown in Fig. 3, the numerals on both scales being reversed, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. One advantageous feature of my invention is that Iprovide the sliding scale 15 with numerals representing increasing sizes in a direction reverse of the direction of increase of those on the fixed scale 14, the first numeral on the scale 15 representing the next size larger than that last shown on fixed scale 14. By this arrangement, as the sliding scale .15is drawn out to accommodate the larger sizes of foot when the tongue 16 is in contact with the end "of the foot, the edge 12 of the foot support and the corresponding end of fixed scale 14, will directly indicate on scale 15 the size of shoe needed.

The slide 15 may readily be removed and replaced and this function renders the device practical for the following reason. The sizes of shoes as represented by the common numerals employed vary but little; therefore the indicating numerals must be of small size and not readily visible from the elevation from which they must be viewed. To avoid error in reading the size it is desirable that after measuring the customers foot the slide be withdrawn and examined at closer range or in a better light, the correct point being retained by the finger. This is accurately performed by placing the' thumb nail against the upper edge 12 and in contact by virtue of the inverted numerals thereon, 7

he is enabled to directly read the size of shoe required.

It will be obvious that myrinvention is capable of many modifications and changes, and I do not Wish to be restricted to the form shown and described beyond the scope of theappended claims.

What I claim is I 1. In a shoe fitting device, in'combination a foot support, said support being provided with a scale for measuring feet for short shoes, a scale slidably mounted in said support and arranged to form an extenslon o1": 25

said first scale for measuring feet for larger shoes, the readings on the second scale being arranged to indicate at the end of'the first scale the size of the shoe needed.

2. In a shoe fitting device, in combination 30 In testimony whereof,- I have subscribed 4 my name. I

. I WILLIAM J. GIBBS.

Witnesses:

GEO. L. WILKINSON, HENRY A. 'PARKS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. O. i 

